I think a lot of modern retro systems try to do is to be a jack of all trades. I think this dilutes the experience and the areas of strength are lessened. This system seems to specialise in these and do it well. That is refreshing.
Magnesium alloys basically give you the strengths of heavier metals but with some weight reductions. Apple and Dell have used it on their top-end laptops in the past and it feels very premium.
14:25 those homebrew compilation videos were the highlight of this channel for me. I hope you'll still do those at least occasionally, showing just the best ones out there...
Yeah don’t worry I’ll make some! Just not as regular, they were taking way too much time and I was being inundated by requests by developers, and most of the games were very low quality too. it was far too overwhelming.
@RetroBreak the ones Modretro is publishing all look very interesting though 👀 I only ordered Dragonyhm alongside my Chromatic, but kinda considering getting the whole 6-pack release bundle 😅
The design grew on me. Initially it looked garish, but the colors are complemented well. Despite this I'm probably getting the light grey GameStop exclusive one.
I was really excited when I first saw this announced. I liked how faithful they were trying to make the original display, and I think they also mentioned the colour palette which is often very saturated on modern displays. I got as far as putting in the basket on the website but I backed out when I saw the £45 postage. Still considering it, but £200 seems like a lot when I already have a Modded GB, GBP and GBA.
@@RetroBreak For me the funnyboy fpga gameboy color with the 4xp picture mode gives a good compromise between lighting and saturation. It's also only £70 something fully assembled with free shipping (even cheaper if buy it as kit to make yourself).
I had to pay €68,- for shipping and taxes, but I have preordered the orange one. Insane! ...But I wanted to have one for my Gameboy (Advance, Color, Pocket, DMG, FPGBC) collection, plus I wanted a backlit screen with (more) accurate colors for my Gameboy homebrew development. I am okay with their AA batteries choice as means of power. We still have a lot of rechargeable AA batteries in use and have a good charger. I received an e-mail from Modretro, that they are packaging and getting ready for distribution! Can't wait!
Hey, stumbled upon your channel as I was looking for previews of the Chromatic. Your impressions have given me a reason to pre-order it in the USA, but more than that, your presentation is very presentable to me, as an autistic person with PTSD. You have a new subscriber in me. Please keep it up!
£157 is a really good price it costs less than the Analogue Pocket and the Playdate. But the shipping is expensive, hopefully these are sold in stores.
The Analogue Pocket display is actually 1600x1440, not 4K. It is exactly 10x the original GB display which is how they are able to do the pixel effects.
and it integer scales to the exact GB resolution, which makes it's the same clarity and sharpness as the Chromatic but alot more versatile. This console is a bit redundant given that the Analog Pocket exists.
AA win. So many rechargeable batteries are near impossible to find quality replacements for after a couple of years, where it's very easy to get a pack of rechargeable AA/aaa
Thank you for your honest feedback. It might just be me but I like a device that boots up directly to the game when you insert the cart. I don't like with the pocket that you need to select and run the game which makes it feel more like an emulator. I am still on the fence but I like how this device is designed to do one specific thing very well. I think people forget that when you add more tech to a device it can do more things but not as well.
I really like that too! I usually spend too much time in menus if it boots into something other than the game… one thing I’m not sure about though.. no sleep mode? Maybe there is but I didn’t see one.
@@RetroBreak The amount of times my SP battery has died mid-journey when using it to play GB games is the reason this excites me, as not only do I get to swap out the batteries it also features a lit screen which is the the reason for not using my original, it's generally early morning-dark when travelling/playing.
From what I understand the screen actually is reflective like the original GBC For me even cheap FPGA's or drop in backlight kits all add at minimum 1frame of input lag as bad as up to an additional 5 frames. I see the attention to detail these guys have put in. I would love to know if they were able to get around adding input delay from the screen as there would be no frame buffer for resizing pixels or flipping the display 90 degrees (like lots of drop in lcd kits) I literally only play original unmodded GBC with light dongle or in the sun because the input delay is super noticable. Biggest thing for me about the Modretro boy is actually just the design choices, the graphics on it are just a tad corny for my taste and I dont need a modded style gaemboy at the moment. But we will see. Overall looks like a cool product
Great review. Very excited for this and the new releases. I love the home brew videos. Please make more. It makes the gameboy seem new again. Thanks for everything
I do love this console. It sets out what it wants to do and does it well. I’m happy there is a console that you can actually get that is cheaper and does it extremely well but balances the original but with a modern twist. The analogue pocket was designed to be tinkered with though. They make it so that the battery is very easy to access and make it so that you can change buttons and other stuff too. The battery isn’t as much to be concerned with for your analogue pocket. Yes you have to pay money and install it again. But I think I would rather have a battery that is modern and can be charged directly rather than having to deal with battery corrosion which is more prevalent in mainstream batteries like Duracell. Loving the review though! Maybe I’m being biased since I have ordered an analogue pocket for Christmas this year for myself. But I’m so glad there are more options that are cheaper and actually are selling easier than the analogue’s shipping and stock service.
You bring up some good points :) I forgot all about battery corrosion! But it is a real issue! I've had it happen in several game boy's over the years!
@ I’m hoping to get into console and hardware cleaning and soldering and nearly every project of restoring a console that doesn’t work anymore is because of corrosion. At the time, it’s all you can offer really. But nowadays, batteries are much safer and are able to keep things protected (most of the time). The console is awesome though, but sadly not for me. I actually wanna make my own games and music too plus I have quite a collection of games that I want to use and play with using the Retrode 2. Honestly though mate, you and your channel are a god send. And we do appreciate all your honest opinions. ❤️🕹️
That's a good point. My Analogue Pocket and Funnyplaying FPGA allow me to play original DMG games in black/white mode ... and this often looks better than color mode for many older games (tetris, solar striker, kirby blockball, etc.) I'm not sure if this new chromatic system allows a forced DMG mode.
Have one. The DMG games on the screen behave like a color. Just replace the reflective grey with white. The colors from the built in pallets are the same as color, only more vibrant. Holding B + Left on boot of a game launches in that grayscale mode, where art is grey and not colored background tiles are white. So I guess I would say that it's almost exactly the same colors you get playing DMG games on a GC GBAPlayer on a CRT or modern TV thru a scaler.
@@mr.selfimprovement3241 It works! Thanks so much! I can even get it to work on my multicart games, as long as I'm quick enough. I like the green color screen (right arrow). The chromatic is that much better now! Appreciate your comment!
though shipping includes taxes, which vary from country to country. In the video you can actually see that shipping itself is only like 10 bucks, which is reasonable. My experience with buying an Analogue was, that the shipping itself actually cost that much and then I had to pay taxes in my country on top afterwards, which was then double the shipping cost.
There's no denial a lot of work went through this project, and while some may label it as "cheap", I love the mindset of building something that will still work in XX years from now. Not going to argue about the price itself, but rather question which spot in the "retro market" is a console like this foing to sit on? I feel like these projects would make much more sense id there was no availability of original Gameboys anymore...but there is (even at currently inflated prices). And, most importantly, if there was no other FPGA option available. The comparison with the AP is the most reasonable one (although that console gives a much more extended coverage in terms of playable games), but what if we compare it to the FPGBC instead which, of the three, is also the only one easily purchasable on a worldwide scale (where both AP and this instead will get brutally charged with shipment and custom fees if you live outside the US or UK)? All that aside, there's no doubt this project comes from a lot of passion and love for the format. Wish these guys all the best for this to live on, and maybe let them dive into newer projects in the future.
I experienced the same issue with a power outage causing my analogue pocket to turn the screen on, but my pocket was powered off before hand. The power bump caused the dock to turn my pocket on and display the dock firmware update message on the display for a week straight while I was in vacation. That message is now burned into my display :/ I contacted support but they said that, since my console is outside of the warranty period, I’d have to pay $100 + shipping to have the display replaced. I mostly use the analogue docked or on the go, so I opted not to send it in and pay half the cost of the console’s worth. Still very disappointed though.
@ Yeah, I was kind of surprised that they wouldn’t at least offer take a look at my Pocket and maybe just charge shipping or a diagnosis fee in exchange for repair. But I could tell by my conversation with the support agent that they’re probably coached not to provide any solution besides the $100 repair fee and shipping fee. It’s really too bad, because the display was my favorite part of the Pocket.
Should of just gone with an oled screen. I think with an oled they could of done way better filters than they did with the pocket. Of course i understand why they did what they did but i just am way more used to modern day dispalys!
6:00 No I have one now, and the sapphire screen refracts sunlight in a way that not even my fancy iPhone does. It's not the backlight, so much as the type of glass they use even in direct sunlight where my analogue pocket becomes hard to see - the chromatic looks almost the same as indoors. It's almost like magic. As soon as I took it outside I was upset my pocket, switch OLED, steam deck and $1000 phone don't have a sapphire lens. It's a bloody shame that we pay so much for for these things and they don't come with screen lenses like what the have on the chromatic. Just cheaping out imo.
Early Gameboy Color, and GBA games were designed with higher colour saturation in mind to compensate for the lack of backlighting, making them more visible on older CRT TVs and monitors. Modern displays have different colour profiles and brightness levels compared to older screens, leading to a sickly crushed or oversaturation effect. So when I'm using emulators, I tend to fiddle with shader settings to adjust the color saturation and brightness. This can help recreate the original look of the games (even down to faking some blurring or ghosting too). I think I'll only be interested in devices like these if there was a way to mute that saturation, add gridlines, simulate ghosting, and really nail that original feel. Otherwise I'll just stick to emulation shaders and original hardware.
But Analogue pocket has a way to mutate the saturation. Yes, it is not customizable but Original GBC in particular addresses the saturation problem you've mentioned and looks extremely decent. There's also a little bit more saturated mode, Original GBC+
I really only want that version of Tetris because I’m a Tetris junkie. I’m not buying a $200+ handheld just for that though. Hopefully they’ll sell it separately one day.
Cracking video nick and not caught up on your videos for a little while so will catch up now. Where can I order a physical copy of that new tetris game?
I think I'm the market for this. I wanted something purpose built for a perfect gameboy experience. I'm using a modded GBA for advance games, and this for GBC. I like having specific libraries for my different handhelds
I wouldn't call the GB games that are published by modretro as "homebrew" since homebrew is mostly associated with bad mini games and half done prototypes
It looks nice, but it costs 270 euros to get it shipped and including taxes to The Netherlands. I already own two Analogue pockets and a FPGBC (that only cost 80 euros for almost the same thing) it should have cost half that maybe for me to consider it as an option next to the analogue pockets that can do literally almost everything
The shipping also seems to include tax and duties, so no extras to pay then entering the country (and then no ekstra fee to UPS (it cost around another 20 USD). But I probably will skip this. I already got the Analogue pocket and a "new" gba with ips screen from Ali Express
Thank you for going into detail about the dpad. Very few reviews on retro emulator mention the dpad quality unless its really bad like the Analogue Pocket which I still regret purchasing because of it's terrible dpad. My two favorite portable nintendo dpads are OG DS and OG GB. If a retro controller or handheld ever has a dpad as good as OEM SNES it will be an instabuy from me.
im getting the pink one i want to ask you how it feels the dpad cause in the analog pocket i heard bad reviews because the dpad its the only think that it really matters 4 me
Not fond of those 70’s style strips. Just my opinion but the style looks off especially considering the OG GameBoy came out in 89’. Anyways, I preordered the Midnight one cuz those strips don’t look as bad compared to the other colors. I do appreciate the use of AA batteries tho, using standard AAs or rechargeable AAs are nice options. Definitely looking forward to it even tho my Analogue Pocket will remain my go to for all its compatibilities.
Have you checked out the Funnyplaying FPGBC? I feel like that's more of a competitor to this than the Pocket given jts marriw focus on gbc, I'd love to see a comparison woth that.
I don’t think I left it on intentionally, probably just finished recording and closed OBS and forgot about it.. silly mistake on my part, but also a design flaw that there’s no way to tell if it’s on or off in the dock
No, it's bad for things on battery to constantly be taking power, it's one reason why laptops that are constantly plugged in loose charge faster. It would actually be better for the battery if it did drain and recharge rather than constantly keep it fully charged.
@RetroBreak Almost all battery powered electronic devices designed now will have logic circuitry to know they are plugged in and to bypass the battery and just power the device from mains supply. If they detect that the battery needs to charge to be in the optimal health range, it can apply a trickle charge, which is very gentle on the battery. The Pocket is definitely not cycling through battery charges whilst in the dock and it also is not applying a charge to the battery whilst docked, generally speaking.. You statements about battery powered devices are either out of date with current battery management technology and practices or referring to cheap devices with unsophisticated BMCs
It's mostly taxes and import charges :( at least they show it up front rather than on delivery which I've had many times in the past :( Sucks to be in the UK when everything is coming from overseas! :'(
This system beat the ANALOG BUT I’m disappointed by the screen. At least make the screen in OLED. I think right now the Boxy Pixel build with real hardware is the best way to have an updated retro GBC.
I want one but somehow I think it will be inferior to my modded GBC with OLED screen and all the other good mods... Tempted. Nothing beats the original!
The whole concept of a Gameboy costing more than it used to 35 years ago is ridiculous. A device like this doesn't need magnesium shell, and the technology to make it work honesty in this day and age, an $50 device should provide ample margin. The only bit I give it to it that it has a screen of the original resolution which should be difficult to get from suppliers.
I think the price is fine, there’s room for expensive collectors items, if people want to just play the games there’s loads of cheap emulation devices and any phone can play GB emulators too.
I hate to be an "actually" guy but if you adjust for inflation the price is pretty similar to what a DMG cost back in 1989. I like it but there are so many other options now that can do more for less money. Or an Analogue Pocket for similar money.
@@SeanCorey-ui1hkright, Chromatic looks very very good, but Analogue pocket is also extremely decent. And has openfpga also. I would not go for Chromatic, but I think it would be a totally fine decision to have both of them😂
I suppose if the Mod Retro cartridges are compatible with original gb and gbc, they should work on Analogue Pocket too, right? I'm interested in the homebrew games, but I'd like to stick to the pocket. I think the Chromatic is fat and ugly, and I don't want to go back to a tiny screen.
Possibly, I’ve had about 50/50 chance of a homebrew cart working on the Pocket, a lot just get a white screen with an error message :( I’ll test it out when mine arrives!
The biggest question is how much compatibility does it have? FPGBCs always had certain problems when it came to trying to play gameboy games. Hopefully it can do flashcarts.
I just don't like the hard 70s aesthetic of the color designs on a device that's meant to emulate hardware from the 80s/90s. The colors are nice, but they just clash with that for me mentally and I get can't past it.
Absolutely insane pricing!! Great if youre rich and or a collector i suppose..... But very niche, you could remod an original to do more or you could just repair an old device.... Or you could get a retrohandheld emulator that does a myriad of things at different form factors! At £220 + £40 shipping you could get a new Retroid 5 + change!!?? Or a steamdeck possibly or any number of those PC handhelds!!?? + bajillions of games... dont get me wrong i love this sort of stuff and the idea BUT dont see these guys lasting long in the current climate of price hikes and cost of living crisis and the games industry losing jobs!!?? And you expect people to buy 3 AA batteries!!!?? even though USB charging is possible!!? Do you know how much batteries are in the UK LOL Why would anyone use batteries!? Battery life!!??? I get using og hardware and physicals i really do i still buy old school physical PS 1 - 5 games etc!!! BUT £35 - £40 for a cartridge of a homebrew as well!!!???? This is super niche and super mental!!!?? Again plenty of GB nostalgia and options in that form factor too at a bajillion sizes and quality which can do alot more and highly customizeable i get that they sort of hint you can play emulators on it but dont explicitly advertise it LOL at £200+ and £40 for shipping i bloody hope it can do other stuff... especially if your phone can all of this.... i get the form factor and the buttons too hence retro handhelds!!!! But are you gonna lug around 20 carts and a ton of AA batteries!??? Good luck to modern retro lol
I was mildly excited in the beginning but there are quite a few things i really don't like aside from the insane price. If you go to this length to make a custom screen then why use an FPGA? We keep parroting it's 100% accurate but in reality it never is (Alleyway was unplayable on the analogue for like 6 months? ), the screen can't be used for any other system even if the fpga is more than capable or running other stuff so at this point why not trying for an actual hardware clone using modern chips ? And the screen is tiny, in the modern word i'm not playing on anything smaller than 3" possibly 4. The irony is with some thinkering you'll have a better time running those games on a dsi / XL , the screen is as big as 4" with low pixel density so it has the same gaps for gb, gbc AND gba and you get old nintendo quality buttons. Still i suppose just talking about it and being a little more mainsteam can be good for the community as a whole.
I was excited for this, and I still am, somewhat, but the maker of this device is problematic. On one hand you have a guy that makes a well thought-out retro gaming handheld that keeps the original DMG's pixel resolution while enhancing everything else, BUT on the other hand that same guy is in the weapons industry.... so technically, by buying this game boy, we're funding research for advanced autonomous weapons. to a very small extent, but still, it doesn't sit well with me. and this is without even mentioning palmer luckey's politics. I'm not condemning anyone buying these, because they are quite neat, but i'm just having these thoughts, and wanted to share thaat's it.
@@Judex1963 I support palmer's politics and weapons company. The company, Anduril, helps keep Australia safe with their incredible Ghost Shark underwater drones.
Very valid thoughts, I’m struggling to decide my stance on it too, definitely surprised seeing some of the comments, it goes a lot deeper than I thought… I will take some time to formulate my thoughts on the matter when I make my full review.
too bad the creator is a super villain. also I really don't understand them having chromatic carts if it take gameboy carts.. can a gbc take chromatic carts..? are they trying to be the publisher that we actually do need, but then putting up a huge barrier to entry right out the gate? and when it comes down to it, it's just another gamble that will probably fail? and if they fail but still make a chunk of change, I guess that technically makes it a scam
As far as I can tell they are just custom branded game boy carts, same as what other homebrew publishers do, so there’s nothing stopping you playing the games in any other game boy that plays GBC games. Definitely not a scam
@@liammctaggart9840 Russia invaded Ukraine. Anduril is helping defend Ukraine. "supervillain" implies you side with the Russian invasion that has lead to the death of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
@@RogerEssigArtist he's a billionaire who uses machine guns for fun. I'm sure he's not selling weapons to Russia as an American, but he's making billionaire weapons manufacturing decisions right now, not moral ones.
there must be a reason why the entire video doesn't even show the device from all sides. the form factor has been criticized in various posts (x, twitter, etc.). and obviously there seems to be something to it if you don't mention this aspect in a 16-minute video.
What criticism have you seen? I didn’t take much footage as I wasn’t expecting to do a video else I’d have took more time! I’ll be sure to show it all in the full review. I don’t remember anything being wrong with the form factor at all
I was interested in this too until I learned that Palmer Luckey runs a company that makes autonomous drones and sensors for military warfare. Hard skip.
I already have an analog pocket (very expensive) and a GBC and GBA I reshelled and added IPS screens to, so it’s really hard to justify buying this at the price point it is being offered
The best thing about Chromatic is a new place to get physical copies of Home Brew Games! Love those physical copies!
I just went to GameStop today to reserve the exclusive color. 😊
I think a lot of modern retro systems try to do is to be a jack of all trades. I think this dilutes the experience and the areas of strength are lessened. This system seems to specialise in these and do it well. That is refreshing.
yep and hope they do gba next
Magnesium alloys basically give you the strengths of heavier metals but with some weight reductions. Apple and Dell have used it on their top-end laptops in the past and it feels very premium.
14:25 those homebrew compilation videos were the highlight of this channel for me. I hope you'll still do those at least occasionally, showing just the best ones out there...
Yeah don’t worry I’ll make some! Just not as regular, they were taking way too much time and I was being inundated by requests by developers, and most of the games were very low quality too. it was far too overwhelming.
@RetroBreak the ones Modretro is publishing all look very interesting though 👀
I only ordered Dragonyhm alongside my Chromatic, but kinda considering getting the whole 6-pack release bundle 😅
@bohdaniatsenko8428 they do look cool, but that plus the console with shipping to the uk was close to £400 and I can’t afford all that right now :(
I'm plenty happy with my $80 FPGBC, but I do like the design of this thing.
The beauty of the Game Boy platform is the wide variety of devices you can choose from.
@@BigMacSoss Yeah but the Guitar Boy does come with an OLED screen.
@@BigMacSoss Why buy a Rolex when a Casio tells the time just the same? It's for people who want to experience quality.
The design grew on me. Initially it looked garish, but the colors are complemented well. Despite this I'm probably getting the light grey GameStop exclusive one.
@@BigMacSoss Good thing I'm not buying one to resell.
I was really excited when I first saw this announced. I liked how faithful they were trying to make the original display, and I think they also mentioned the colour palette which is often very saturated on modern displays. I got as far as putting in the basket on the website but I backed out when I saw the £45 postage. Still considering it, but £200 seems like a lot when I already have a Modded GB, GBP and GBA.
To be fair, the display did seem quite saturated, definitely more than some of the emulators I've tried which have "color accurate" modes.
@ Oh, that’s a shame then. Good to know, thanks!
The shipping is more expensive because you like in the UK. It's only $12.00 USD to ship to the US.
Yeah it includes tax and import charges too
@@RetroBreak For me the funnyboy fpga gameboy color with the 4xp picture mode gives a good compromise between lighting and saturation. It's also only £70 something fully assembled with free shipping (even cheaper if buy it as kit to make yourself).
I had to pay €68,- for shipping and taxes, but I have preordered the orange one. Insane! ...But I wanted to have one for my Gameboy (Advance, Color, Pocket, DMG, FPGBC) collection, plus I wanted a backlit screen with (more) accurate colors for my Gameboy homebrew development.
I am okay with their AA batteries choice as means of power. We still have a lot of rechargeable AA batteries in use and have a good charger.
I received an e-mail from Modretro, that they are packaging and getting ready for distribution!
Can't wait!
Hey, stumbled upon your channel as I was looking for previews of the Chromatic. Your impressions have given me a reason to pre-order it in the USA, but more than that, your presentation is very presentable to me, as an autistic person with PTSD. You have a new subscriber in me. Please keep it up!
Thanks! Glad you enjoyed :)
£157 is a really good price it costs less than the Analogue Pocket and the Playdate. But the shipping is expensive, hopefully these are sold in stores.
And it doesn’t play gba games
Thanks a lot for this in-depth first impression, looking forward to getting mine in a couple of weeks! 🤞
The Analogue Pocket display is actually 1600x1440, not 4K. It is exactly 10x the original GB display which is how they are able to do the pixel effects.
and it integer scales to the exact GB resolution, which makes it's the same clarity and sharpness as the Chromatic but alot more versatile. This console is a bit redundant given that the Analog Pocket exists.
@@exmosquito but the screen looks better for 144p roms you don`t have to stretch it.
Cant wait for the Chromatic Advance
I'm very glad to finally have a first impressions review from someone whose opinion I actually trust!
AA win. So many rechargeable batteries are near impossible to find quality replacements for after a couple of years, where it's very easy to get a pack of rechargeable AA/aaa
Thank you for your honest feedback. It might just be me but I like a device that boots up directly to the game when you insert the cart. I don't like with the pocket that you need to select and run the game which makes it feel more like an emulator. I am still on the fence but I like how this device is designed to do one specific thing very well. I think people forget that when you add more tech to a device it can do more things but not as well.
I really like that too! I usually spend too much time in menus if it boots into something other than the game… one thing I’m not sure about though.. no sleep mode? Maybe there is but I didn’t see one.
@RetroBreak 👍
You can turn on the “Run cartridge” setting on your Analogue Pocket so it boots up your cartridge directly.
They really need to do something like this for the Game Gear as well.
Yessss, batteries!
Batteries, and a power switch! Two things that should never have gone away!
@@RetroBreak The amount of times my SP battery has died mid-journey when using it to play GB games is the reason this excites me, as not only do I get to swap out the batteries it also features a lit screen which is the the reason for not using my original, it's generally early morning-dark when travelling/playing.
What a great decision from the makers of this thing indeed. Makes me almost want to buy this 🎉
That’s one thing I wasn’t expecting 😂
From what I understand the screen actually is reflective like the original GBC
For me even cheap FPGA's or drop in backlight kits all add at minimum 1frame of input lag as bad as up to an additional 5 frames.
I see the attention to detail these guys have put in. I would love to know if they were able to get around adding input delay from the screen as there would be no frame buffer for resizing pixels or flipping the display 90 degrees (like lots of drop in lcd kits)
I literally only play original unmodded GBC with light dongle or in the sun because the input delay is super noticable.
Biggest thing for me about the Modretro boy is actually just the design choices, the graphics on it are just a tad corny for my taste and I dont need a modded style gaemboy at the moment. But we will see. Overall looks like a cool product
First review of this I've seen, and a really decent one. A nice surprise. Cheers!
I did the best I could with the three video clips I took XD Didn't plan on making a video at the time else I would have took more!
Looking at this New Modretro Game Boy looks beautiful here!
Great review. Very excited for this and the new releases. I love the home brew videos. Please make more. It makes the gameboy seem new again. Thanks for everything
Im excited for this, i preordered the gamestop exclusive, awesome review!
I think the GameStop one is the best looking one too. I gotta pre-order that one, good to know preorders are open.
I do love this console. It sets out what it wants to do and does it well. I’m happy there is a console that you can actually get that is cheaper and does it extremely well but balances the original but with a modern twist.
The analogue pocket was designed to be tinkered with though. They make it so that the battery is very easy to access and make it so that you can change buttons and other stuff too.
The battery isn’t as much to be concerned with for your analogue pocket. Yes you have to pay money and install it again. But I think I would rather have a battery that is modern and can be charged directly rather than having to deal with battery corrosion which is more prevalent in mainstream batteries like Duracell.
Loving the review though! Maybe I’m being biased since I have ordered an analogue pocket for Christmas this year for myself. But I’m so glad there are more options that are cheaper and actually are selling easier than the analogue’s shipping and stock service.
You bring up some good points :) I forgot all about battery corrosion! But it is a real issue! I've had it happen in several game boy's over the years!
@ I’m hoping to get into console and hardware cleaning and soldering and nearly every project of restoring a console that doesn’t work anymore is because of corrosion. At the time, it’s all you can offer really. But nowadays, batteries are much safer and are able to keep things protected (most of the time).
The console is awesome though, but sadly not for me. I actually wanna make my own games and music too plus I have quite a collection of games that I want to use and play with using the Retrode 2.
Honestly though mate, you and your channel are a god send. And we do appreciate all your honest opinions. ❤️🕹️
Also, I really want to see how the original DMG games look on the screen
That's a good point. My Analogue Pocket and Funnyplaying FPGA allow me to play original DMG games in black/white mode ... and this often looks better than color mode for many older games (tetris, solar striker, kirby blockball, etc.) I'm not sure if this new chromatic system allows a forced DMG mode.
Have one. The DMG games on the screen behave like a color. Just replace the reflective grey with white. The colors from the built in pallets are the same as color, only more vibrant. Holding B + Left on boot of a game launches in that grayscale mode, where art is grey and not colored background tiles are white. So I guess I would say that it's almost exactly the same colors you get playing DMG games on a GC GBAPlayer on a CRT or modern TV thru a scaler.
@@mr.selfimprovement3241 It works! Thanks so much! I can even get it to work on my multicart games, as long as I'm quick enough. I like the green color screen (right arrow). The chromatic is that much better now! Appreciate your comment!
Cheers from Canada!
I can't wait for mine to ship.
Shipping in the U.S. was cheap compared to the Analogue Pocket. At least that’s what I recall from when I ordered it.
Yeah, my shipping for the Chromatic was a little less than half of the Analogue Pocket.
Picked up mine from gamestop today and so far I love it!!!
I'll get one, looks great!!
I like that the Chromatic exists.For my money I got two FPGBCs, two Everdrive X3s, and a link cable for like $270.
Love the channel Retro. Can you make a video on how to stream with the Chromatic now that it's officially released?
Ordered 2! They look really cool
Nice! Which colours?
@ 2 GameStop grays! The yellow color looks really nice as well.
though shipping includes taxes, which vary from country to country. In the video you can actually see that shipping itself is only like 10 bucks, which is reasonable. My experience with buying an Analogue was, that the shipping itself actually cost that much and then I had to pay taxes in my country on top afterwards, which was then double the shipping cost.
I always get hit with charged on Analogue products :(
Analogue shipping does not include taxes like the chromatic does that you you shared there. 3:26 You’ll need to add 20% to the analogue estimate.
Do the legendary tap test to see if the device can withstand a tap on the back of the cart.
The analogue pocket can't lol
That yellow one looks sick
Wow, another retro-themed gaming hand held is on the market. Another device that I have absolutely zero need for . . . that I will probably buy lol.
Do you not already have an Analogue Pocket? I can't help but see this as a Pocket but just worse.
@@Breakbeats92.5 I'm with you on this lol, I've countless restored handhelds and upgraded handhelds, and I don't mind this lol
@Breakbeats92.5 did you order it? Lol
I need to see a comparison of the colors being displayed between an original gbc and the chromatic. I like the colors on the gbc.
I’ll do one for the review :) as well as comparisons with other after market GBC devices too!
That is damn cool.
I really miss the GameBoy homebrew coverage. Maybe only cover the games you enjoy and feel you can be positive about? Cheers!
There's no denial a lot of work went through this project, and while some may label it as "cheap", I love the mindset of building something that will still work in XX years from now.
Not going to argue about the price itself, but rather question which spot in the "retro market" is a console like this foing to sit on?
I feel like these projects would make much more sense id there was no availability of original Gameboys anymore...but there is (even at currently inflated prices).
And, most importantly, if there was no other FPGA option available.
The comparison with the AP is the most reasonable one (although that console gives a much more extended coverage in terms of playable games), but what if we compare it to the FPGBC instead which, of the three, is also the only one easily purchasable on a worldwide scale (where both AP and this instead will get brutally charged with shipment and custom fees if you live outside the US or UK)?
All that aside, there's no doubt this project comes from a lot of passion and love for the format. Wish these guys all the best for this to live on, and maybe let them dive into newer projects in the future.
@@giec3484 They will be doing a GBA version at some point.
I experienced the same issue with a power outage causing my analogue pocket to turn the screen on, but my pocket was powered off before hand. The power bump caused the dock to turn my pocket on and display the dock firmware update message on the display for a week straight while I was in vacation. That message is now burned into my display :/ I contacted support but they said that, since my console is outside of the warranty period, I’d have to pay $100 + shipping to have the display replaced. I mostly use the analogue docked or on the go, so I opted not to send it in and pay half the cost of the console’s worth. Still very disappointed though.
That sucks they wouldn’t replace it for you :( it wasn’t your fault at all!
@ Yeah, I was kind of surprised that they wouldn’t at least offer take a look at my Pocket and maybe just charge shipping or a diagnosis fee in exchange for repair. But I could tell by my conversation with the support agent that they’re probably coached not to provide any solution besides the $100 repair fee and shipping fee. It’s really too bad, because the display was my favorite part of the Pocket.
I ordered the green one
Should of just gone with an oled screen. I think with an oled they could of done way better filters than they did with the pocket. Of course i understand why they did what they did but i just am way more used to modern day dispalys!
6:00 No I have one now, and the sapphire screen refracts sunlight in a way that not even my fancy iPhone does. It's not the backlight, so much as the type of glass they use even in direct sunlight where my analogue pocket becomes hard to see - the chromatic looks almost the same as indoors. It's almost like magic. As soon as I took it outside I was upset my pocket, switch OLED, steam deck and $1000 phone don't have a sapphire lens. It's a bloody shame that we pay so much for for these things and they don't come with screen lenses like what the have on the chromatic. Just cheaping out imo.
Early Gameboy Color, and GBA games were designed with higher colour saturation in mind to compensate for the lack of backlighting, making them more visible on older CRT TVs and monitors. Modern displays have different colour profiles and brightness levels compared to older screens, leading to a sickly crushed or oversaturation effect.
So when I'm using emulators, I tend to fiddle with shader settings to adjust the color saturation and brightness. This can help recreate the original look of the games (even down to faking some blurring or ghosting too).
I think I'll only be interested in devices like these if there was a way to mute that saturation, add gridlines, simulate ghosting, and really nail that original feel. Otherwise I'll just stick to emulation shaders and original hardware.
But Analogue pocket has a way to mutate the saturation. Yes, it is not customizable but Original GBC in particular addresses the saturation problem you've mentioned and looks extremely decent. There's also a little bit more saturated mode, Original GBC+
I really only want that version of Tetris because I’m a Tetris junkie. I’m not buying a $200+ handheld just for that though. Hopefully they’ll sell it separately one day.
Cracking video nick and not caught up on your videos for a little while so will catch up now. Where can I order a physical copy of that new tetris game?
Thanks! Enjoy the other videos :D seems like you can only get it along with the console for now.. hope they sell it separately in the future
I think I'm the market for this. I wanted something purpose built for a perfect gameboy experience. I'm using a modded GBA for advance games, and this for GBC. I like having specific libraries for my different handhelds
I love purpose made handhelds too! Would love to see a GBA specific one in the future too also with original resolution!
I wouldn't call the GB games that are published by modretro as "homebrew" since homebrew is mostly associated with bad mini games and half done prototypes
It's strange how the reviews of the Chromatic make me think of the Analog pocket and the evercade
It looks nice, but it costs 270 euros to get it shipped and including taxes to The Netherlands. I already own two Analogue pockets and a FPGBC (that only cost 80 euros for almost the same thing) it should have cost half that maybe for me to consider it as an option next to the analogue pockets that can do literally almost everything
For a custom screen like this, I really wish they had gone OLED or microLED.
The shipping also seems to include tax and duties, so no extras to pay then entering the country (and then no ekstra fee to UPS (it cost around another 20 USD). But I probably will skip this. I already got the Analogue pocket and a "new" gba with ips screen from Ali Express
Does the new version of Tetris have the original music? If not, how is the soundtrack?
I couldn’t hear it at the show, will have to wait and see…
Thank you for going into detail about the dpad. Very few reviews on retro emulator mention the dpad quality unless its really bad like the Analogue Pocket which I still regret purchasing because of it's terrible dpad. My two favorite portable nintendo dpads are OG DS and OG GB. If a retro controller or handheld ever has a dpad as good as OEM SNES it will be an instabuy from me.
The D-Pad is arguably more important than anything else! Very happy with what I felt on the demo unit. Hope the final release feels the same!
If you can play it outside it beats the analouge pocket. I never play mine because of that
im getting the pink one i want to ask you how it feels the dpad cause in the analog pocket i heard bad reviews because the dpad its the only think that it really matters 4 me
Not fond of those 70’s style strips. Just my opinion but the style looks off especially considering the OG GameBoy came out in 89’. Anyways, I preordered the Midnight one cuz those strips don’t look as bad compared to the other colors. I do appreciate the use of AA batteries tho, using standard AAs or rechargeable AAs are nice options. Definitely looking forward to it even tho my Analogue Pocket will remain my go to for all its compatibilities.
The analogue pocket is still the best way to play gameboy games.
The sound is not as accurate as rhe analogue pocket or the mister fpga core from my testing so far. I'm hoping they fix it with some updates.
I like it, but I have the Analogue Pocket which does so much more and I like the dock. If this did something more, maybe.
3:30 It’s not just shipping you’re paying, they are collecting VAT as well aren’t they? Analogue do not do this, their shipping is just a rip off…
Have you checked out the Funnyplaying FPGBC? I feel like that's more of a competitor to this than the Pocket given jts marriw focus on gbc, I'd love to see a comparison woth that.
I’m planning to get one soon for the purpose of a comparison as several people have mentioned it :)
There is still the Trimui Brick.
I still have the old ones
I hate the D-Pad on my Analogue Pocket. I wish there was an aftermarket option so I can get a nice D-Pad.
Honestly when in done playing the pocket in the dock i always exit out of the game and click power off i didnt know people just left them on lol
I don’t think I left it on intentionally, probably just finished recording and closed OBS and forgot about it.. silly mistake on my part, but also a design flaw that there’s no way to tell if it’s on or off in the dock
So this guy actually thinks that when the Pocket is in a powered dock, it is constantly running the battery down and then charging back up? What? 🤦
No, it's bad for things on battery to constantly be taking power, it's one reason why laptops that are constantly plugged in loose charge faster. It would actually be better for the battery if it did drain and recharge rather than constantly keep it fully charged.
@RetroBreak Almost all battery powered electronic devices designed now will have logic circuitry to know they are plugged in and to bypass the battery and just power the device from mains supply. If they detect that the battery needs to charge to be in the optimal health range, it can apply a trickle charge, which is very gentle on the battery. The Pocket is definitely not cycling through battery charges whilst in the dock and it also is not applying a charge to the battery whilst docked, generally speaking..
You statements about battery powered devices are either out of date with current battery management technology and practices or referring to cheap devices with unsophisticated BMCs
I don’t see the grey one with white buttons on website
They need to sort out that shipping cost...ouch!
It's mostly taxes and import charges :( at least they show it up front rather than on delivery which I've had many times in the past :( Sucks to be in the UK when everything is coming from overseas! :'(
@RetroBreak Imagine if you got hit by customs on top also that would be painful....surely theu could find a UK distributor (blaze/funstock maybe)
7:35 what's that racing game?
Gadget Racers / Choro-Q Advance :) fun game!
Shipping costs are ridiculous. Otherwise I might have pulled the trigger already.
This system beat the ANALOG BUT I’m disappointed by the screen. At least make the screen in OLED. I think right now the Boxy Pixel build with real hardware is the best way to have an updated retro GBC.
I want one but somehow I think it will be inferior to my modded GBC with OLED screen and all the other good mods... Tempted. Nothing beats the original!
Aaaaand with 3 AA Battery you can play 1 hour ! Yes ! No I'm kidding but that's the info I need to decide if I buy it or not
The whole concept of a Gameboy costing more than it used to 35 years ago is ridiculous. A device like this doesn't need magnesium shell, and the technology to make it work honesty in this day and age, an $50 device should provide ample margin.
The only bit I give it to it that it has a screen of the original resolution which should be difficult to get from suppliers.
I think the price is fine, there’s room for expensive collectors items, if people want to just play the games there’s loads of cheap emulation devices and any phone can play GB emulators too.
I hate to be an "actually" guy but if you adjust for inflation the price is pretty similar to what a DMG cost back in 1989.
I like it but there are so many other options now that can do more for less money. Or an Analogue Pocket for similar money.
@@SeanCorey-ui1hkright, Chromatic looks very very good, but Analogue pocket is also extremely decent. And has openfpga also. I would not go for Chromatic, but I think it would be a totally fine decision to have both of them😂
My man. It has a sapphire screen lens.
I suppose if the Mod Retro cartridges are compatible with original gb and gbc, they should work on Analogue Pocket too, right? I'm interested in the homebrew games, but I'd like to stick to the pocket. I think the Chromatic is fat and ugly, and I don't want to go back to a tiny screen.
Possibly, I’ve had about 50/50 chance of a homebrew cart working on the Pocket, a lot just get a white screen with an error message :( I’ll test it out when mine arrives!
The biggest question is how much compatibility does it have? FPGBCs always had certain problems when it came to trying to play gameboy games. Hopefully it can do flashcarts.
I just don't like the hard 70s aesthetic of the color designs on a device that's meant to emulate hardware from the 80s/90s. The colors are nice, but they just clash with that for me mentally and I get can't past it.
Absolutely insane pricing!! Great if youre rich and or a collector i suppose..... But very niche, you could remod an original to do more or you could just repair an old device....
Or you could get a retrohandheld emulator that does a myriad of things at different form factors!
At £220 + £40 shipping you could get a new Retroid 5 + change!!?? Or a steamdeck possibly or any number of those PC handhelds!!?? + bajillions of games...
dont get me wrong i love this sort of stuff and the idea BUT dont see these guys lasting long in the current climate of price hikes and cost of living crisis and the games industry losing jobs!!??
And you expect people to buy 3 AA batteries!!!?? even though USB charging is possible!!? Do you know how much batteries are in the UK LOL Why would anyone use batteries!? Battery life!!???
I get using og hardware and physicals i really do i still buy old school physical PS 1 - 5 games etc!!! BUT £35 - £40 for a cartridge of a homebrew as well!!!???? This is super niche and super mental!!!??
Again plenty of GB nostalgia and options in that form factor too at a bajillion sizes and quality which can do alot more and highly customizeable
i get that they sort of hint you can play emulators on it but dont explicitly advertise it LOL at £200+ and £40 for shipping i bloody hope it can do other stuff... especially if your phone can all of this.... i get the form factor and the buttons too hence retro handhelds!!!! But are you gonna lug around 20 carts and a ton of AA batteries!???
Good luck to modern retro lol
You can also buy cheap watches and cheap shoes.
Why isn’t the light gray one on the website
It's exclusive to GameStop in the US
I was mildly excited in the beginning but there are quite a few things i really don't like aside from the insane price.
If you go to this length to make a custom screen then why use an FPGA?
We keep parroting it's 100% accurate but in reality it never is (Alleyway was unplayable on the analogue for like 6 months? ), the screen can't be used for any other system even if the fpga is more than capable or running other stuff so at this point why not trying for an actual hardware clone using modern chips ?
And the screen is tiny, in the modern word i'm not playing on anything smaller than 3" possibly 4.
The irony is with some thinkering you'll have a better time running those games on a dsi / XL , the screen is as big as 4" with low pixel density so it has the same gaps for gb, gbc AND gba and you get old nintendo quality buttons.
Still i suppose just talking about it and being a little more mainsteam can be good for the community as a whole.
Just don't see the point of this device when the FPGBC is less than 1/2 the price and I prefer the screen...
I think the shell is incredibly gaudy and ugly looking. Really not a fan of it. The Analogue Pocket is just a much better looking device.
I’d rather get the Analogue pocket
If this thing doesn't have Doom that's useless
Rechargeable aa batteries exist 🤷♂️
Yes they do, I have some! :O
I was excited for this, and I still am, somewhat, but the maker of this device is problematic. On one hand you have a guy that makes a well thought-out retro gaming handheld that keeps the original DMG's pixel resolution while enhancing everything else, BUT on the other hand that same guy is in the weapons industry.... so technically, by buying this game boy, we're funding research for advanced autonomous weapons. to a very small extent, but still, it doesn't sit well with me. and this is without even mentioning palmer luckey's politics. I'm not condemning anyone buying these, because they are quite neat, but i'm just having these thoughts, and wanted to share thaat's it.
It's one of the reasons why I ordered one. (orange, of course).
@@RogerEssigArtist i don't get it. I just mentioned reasons not to. Was that sarcasm?
@@Judex1963 I support palmer's politics and weapons company. The company, Anduril, helps keep Australia safe with their incredible Ghost Shark underwater drones.
Very valid thoughts, I’m struggling to decide my stance on it too, definitely surprised seeing some of the comments, it goes a lot deeper than I thought… I will take some time to formulate my thoughts on the matter when I make my full review.
too bad the creator is a super villain. also I really don't understand them having chromatic carts if it take gameboy carts.. can a gbc take chromatic carts..? are they trying to be the publisher that we actually do need, but then putting up a huge barrier to entry right out the gate? and when it comes down to it, it's just another gamble that will probably fail? and if they fail but still make a chunk of change, I guess that technically makes it a scam
As far as I can tell they are just custom branded game boy carts, same as what other homebrew publishers do, so there’s nothing stopping you playing the games in any other game boy that plays GBC games. Definitely not a scam
@RetroBreak a scam in the sense that if you buy into something and the company flops immediately, you have no support
but more concerned about the weapons
@@liammctaggart9840 Russia invaded Ukraine. Anduril is helping defend Ukraine. "supervillain" implies you side with the Russian invasion that has lead to the death of thousands of Ukrainian civilians.
@@RogerEssigArtist he's a billionaire who uses machine guns for fun. I'm sure he's not selling weapons to Russia as an American, but he's making billionaire weapons manufacturing decisions right now, not moral ones.
yeah im good with my rg35xxh , cost me 28 quid and came with all the games installed
there must be a reason why the entire video doesn't even show the device from all sides. the form factor has been criticized in various posts (x, twitter, etc.). and obviously there seems to be something to it if you don't mention this aspect in a 16-minute video.
What criticism have you seen? I didn’t take much footage as I wasn’t expecting to do a video else I’d have took more time! I’ll be sure to show it all in the full review. I don’t remember anything being wrong with the form factor at all
I was interested in this too until I learned that Palmer Luckey runs a company that makes autonomous drones and sensors for military warfare. Hard skip.
I appreciate this thing, but the analogue pocket is still the king for me
The three stripes are ugly.
I already have an analog pocket (very expensive) and a GBC and GBA I reshelled and added IPS screens to, so it’s really hard to justify buying this at the price point it is being offered
I already shelled out the dough for the superior analogue I'm good
I wouldn't be surprised if they made a gameboy advance version in 10 or 20 years lol
Yep, that's been confirmed by Palmer Luckey. They'll do it 'eventually'. He said it on the RetroDodo podcast.
$200 for a $34 chinese device lmao